Cinema

For more movie summaries, see Kam’s Kapsules.

TAKE THAT LORD VOLDEMORT: Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) summons all that he has learned from his education and training as a wizard at Hogwarts when he wields his magic wand to fend off an attack by the nefarious Lord Voldemort, aka He Whose Name Must Not Be Mentioned (Ralph Fiennes, not shown).

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2: Finale Brings Down the Curtain on the Harry Potter Series

Kam Williams

Over the past decade, the Harry Potter screen adaptations have proven to be as popular as the bestselling series of books upon which they’re based. The first seven movies grossed over $6 billion at the box office, making it the most lucrative film series of all time even before the release of this finale.

Unless author J.K. Rowling decides to extend the saga, which isn’t entirely out of the question, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 brings down the curtain on the magical adventures of the boy wizard and his Hogwarts School classmates. Directed by David Yates (Harry Potter films 5, 6, and 7), the story picks up right where the last one left off, with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), and his pals Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), continuing their quest to find the rest of Dark Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) “Horcruxes.”

Diehard Potterheads already know why gaining possession of the magic weaponry known as the “Deathly Hallows” (the Resurrection Stone, the Elder Wand, and the Cloak of Invisibility) is critical to the success of the mission to vanquish the merciless Voldemort. Nonetheless, uninitiated “muggles” need not be familiar with the these articles in order to appreciate that what’s about to unfold is a classic showdown between the forces of good and evil which will decide the fate of the world.

As for special effects, this is the first episode shot in 3D, which turns out to be worth the investment because of the captivating action sequences ranging from the heroes daring escape from a subterranean inferno on the back of a fire-breathing dragon to the epic battle on the campus of Hogwarts.

When the dust settles, however, what’s perhaps more memorable than the clash of the wands in the movie is the update at the end of the movie that relates details of developments in the protagonists’ personal lives. After all, they’re almost like a family that has grown up in front of our eyes from one film to the next, so it’s only natural that we’d like to know how they have turned out as adults.

Excellent (four stars). Rated PG-13 for frightening images and intense violence. Running time: 130 minutes. Distributor: Warner Brothers.

For more movie summaries, see Kam’s Kapsules.

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